A Little Fall Of Rain
by Skylark Starflower
Summary: The team takes a dangerous chance to escape persuit, and the rain doesn't make things any better.


Authors Note/Disclaimer: I don't own WA 3, it belongs to Media Vision/Sony.

Another short, tragic fic. Hee hee hee. My evil mind has been working overtime lately, it has. I wrote this in the three hours I spent today sitting on a hard hard bench waiting for the base laptop's battery to charge. Tee hee. Anyway, read time! Wanders off, humming the song of the same title from Les Mis.

"A Little Fall Of Rain"

Written By Skylark Starflower

Started September 18th, 2004

Finished September 18th, 2004

It was dark, the pouring rain driving down in sheets, making the already dangerous route even more treacherous as Virginia and her friends made their way through the mountains. Their destination was unknown; it was escape from the posse on their trail that was important right now.

Gallows brushed a mess of sopping hair from his eyes and shaded them from the rain. "Do you think we've lost them yet?" he asked.

"I do not know," replied Clive. "But the rain must make tracking difficult. It is also making our path dangerous, however. We should seek shelter as soon as possible to avoid injury."

Jet peered over the side of the steep cliff face the group was ascending and snorted. "Like it would be any safer dry."

"Stop grousing and help me look for an alcove or something," Virginia interjected and the team fell silent, carefully judging every footfall as they continued their treacherous journey.

The rain didn't let up, the wind battering at the four drifters. Clive was forced to buckle his jacket to keep it from blowing into Jet, the silver haired youth following behind him as the team moved in single file, Virginia in the lead. Gallows had already removed the blanket he wore around his waist to keep it from snagging on the rocks.

Virginia was having a difficult time, her wet skirt clinging to her legs and making it hard for her to walk the narrow passage. She would have removed it, but her sense of decency prevented her doing so in front of the others. Instead, she was extra careful about where she put her foot down.

They had no way of knowing that the rain had weakened a section of the trail up ahead, no way of knowing that it looked as firm as the rest of the path except that the rock supporting it from below had been washed away.

Virginia carefully tested each step, but the affected area held until she put her full weight upon it. With a startled cry, she scrabbled for purchase as the road beneath her feet crumbled and she began to fall.

"Virginia!" Clive, who'd been following behind her, reached forward and caught her hand as she slipped off the side. The sudden lurch pulled him forward and he grabbed at a small rock column to stop his forward momentum. The rocks held, but he didn't know for how long.

"Hold on, Virginia! Do not let go of my hand!" The look of terror on her face was so heart wrenching that he had to turn away, but he felt her hand tighten around his in response to his words. Turning carefully to face Gallows and Jet, he called, "I need help! I fear I cannot hold her for much longer!"

Indeed, he could feel her hands slipping. The rain was making his gloves slick and hard to hold onto. He had a terrible urge to reach out to her with both hands, but he knew if he let go of the rocks, they would both fall.

Although Jet was the closest, it was still taking him time to get to the two. Not wanting to fall as well, he was going as quickly as possible while still being safe. Gallows was moving even slower than Jet, digging for a rope as he came.

Clive wished fervently that he was not wearing gloves as he felt Virginia slip again. Turning, he yelled down to her. "Please, try to hang on! The others will be here to help very soon!"

He saw Virginia nod, this time not looking away. She was unable to reply verbally, her throat dry with fear despite the rain.

Clive's blood ran cold as, just when Jet reached him, Virginia's grip finally failed, her hands slipping from his. Moving as fast as he dared, the sniper darted out his hand, trying to catch her once more, but she was already beyond his reach.

Virginia gave a sharp scream that was cut short as she hit the rock face on the way down. Bouncing gracelessly away from the side, she fell uninterrupted until hitting the bottom, several yards below, and lay still.

Clive fell back against the rock wall. His legs giving out on him, he collapsed into a heap, struggling to breathe as he started to hyperventilate, badly shocked.

Thinking quickly as Gallows arrived with the rope, Jet snatched it from the Baskar's hands. Tying one end into a strong slipknot, he slid it over the rock column Clive had been holding on to and tightened it, checking it for security. Once he was sure it was fine, he tied the other end securely around his waist. Throwing a medium to Gallows, he held out his hand.

"Give me the Aqua Wisp, now!" Without question, Gallows handed over the requested medium. Jet pocketed it and prepared to lower himself over the cliff side. "You take care of Clive, I'll get Virginia."

Gallows nodded and went to help the older man, who was still having difficulty breathing. Jet scrambled quickly and carefully down the wet cliff face and began to descend.

X X X

Virginia opened an eye. The other was crusted shut with blood. It took her a moment to remember what had happened.

She was in no pain; her body felt numb all over. The only thing she was aware of was the sensation of a growing puddle of warm liquid beneath her back, and the gentle pit pat of raindrops hitting her face.

Dying was a strange feeling. She could feel her heart slowly giving up as it pumped more and more of her lifeblood onto the ground. She'd thought slowly bleeding to death would have hurt more.

Her thoughts were scattered, not helped when she'd hit her head on the way down, and traveled to Clive. She dimly hoped he wasn't blaming himself for her fall, and wanted to tell him sorry and assure him that it wasn't his fault. She didn't blame him. But she couldn't move.

Knowing that her friends would be trying to save her, her gaze flickered up the steep wall. She saw Jet on his way down and closed her eye, a smile crossing her face.

Everything would be all right now, she was sure. The wounds in her back from the sharp rocks would be healed and she'd be just fine.

She laid there, eyes closed, waiting for Jet to reach her. The world grew quiet as she waited, and she could no longer hear the rain. She could still feel it on her face, however.

But even that was soon gone.

The end


End file.
